Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Sony RX100 V is a Large Sensor Compact camera with a 20.0MP 1" sensor whereas Nikon 1 J5 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 21.0MP 1" sensor. Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Sony RX100 V and Nikon 1 J5 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony RX100 V and Nikon 1 J5. Nikon 1 J5 is 4mm narrower and 9mm thinner than Sony RX100 V but it is also 2mm taller. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Sony RX100 V has a built-in lens but Nikon 1 J5 doesn't. Once you put a lens on J5, its thickness will increase significantly.

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony RX100 V and Nikon 1 J5.

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Nikon 1 J5 is significantly lighter (68g ) than the Sony RX100 V which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on J5, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Another difference between these two cameras is that Nikon 1 J5's sensor lacks anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the RX100 V and J5 sensor size comparison.

Sony RX100 V and Nikon 1 J5 have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Sony RX100 V and Nikon 1 J5 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Sony RX100 V and Nikon 1 J5 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Sony RX100 V and Nikon 1 J5, below you can find their scores in five different aspects.
Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Sony RX100 V and Nikon 1 J5 scores compare:

Sony RX100 V

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #12 out of 44 in Large sensor compact camerasRanked #163 out of 1131 in all Cameras

Nikon 1 J5

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #22 out of 114 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless camerasRanked #140 out of 1131 in all Cameras

Nikon 1 J5 has a higher Overall Score than the Sony RX100 V. It also has more features, more compact body and offers higher value for the money. But there is one area that J5 trails behind the RX100 V: Imaging If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Sony RX100 V. If not, we recommend the Nikon 1 J5.